Drop-stitch mechanism for knitting-machines.



F. W. ROBINSON. DB0? STITCH MEGHANISM PGR KNITTING MA GHINES.

APPLECATON FILED DBC.3,1Q1O 4 Patented Apr.

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@mib/wenn "UNITED STATEs PATENT ormoni y TRANI; w. ROBINSON, or READING, rNNsYLvANIA; AssGNon, BYVMESNE AssIoN- MENTS, 'ro THE Nonna e Hoasrco., or READING, PENNsYLvaNrA, a consom- TION F PENNSYLVANIA.

DROP-STITCH MECHANISM FOB.- 'KNITTlC'N'G-MACHINES.

,..To all'whomit may conccrn:

Beit 'known that I, FRANK lV. ROBINSON, a citizen .of the- United States,y and a resident of theeity of Reading', in the county .of

` face. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken' on the line 2 2 of Figs. l and 6, and Fig. 3

is a similar view on the. line 3-3 of said ti,v-A ures, certain connecting portionsof the machine being also-indicated. Fig. 4 is a partial bottom view of the cam cylinder. Fig. 5 is a partial view corresponding to Fig. 1,

but showing one of the lifting canis for the drop-stitch needles in raised position. Fig. 6 is a separate perspective view of the slide ring'. Fig. 7 shows a vertical section of the needle cylinder through one of the'needle slots which is provided with a hub-projecting ja l F igs ,|25 and 3 show a needle cylinder 1,' carried' b a supporting ringlQ mounted in bine frame 3 as usual. The inclosing .bam cylinder 4 is provided with a bevel gear 5 through which itis rotated, and with, fixed and movable earns for elfectingl the vertical movements of the needlesIas re;- quired for ordinary circular. knitting, an

, for the narrowing and widening operations.

Particular description of these well-known 'features -is not .necessary to the setting forth of my inventionthc purpose off which is to satisfactorily provide for the". continuous reduction of adrop-stitch fabric.

Thc`drop-stiteh effect generally' desired for hosiery requires the joint operation of adjacent-drop-stitch needles'rather than single needles, and my invention therefore pro.-f vides for operating upon, a plurality of adi" jacent drop-stitch needles. The main object Specicationof Letters Patent. .application ledDeceniber 3, 1910. Serial No. 595,382.

,in Figs. 2 and 7, with we hereafter more fullyl referred'to.

Patented Arpt. 2, 129,12'.

sought for is to enalilev the continuous lknit-,.525

ting of stockings in which the drop-stitches appear in boththe front and rear portions of the leg, but are stopped/at the rear by thev raising. of first one andthen another 'of each f pair-.or series'of adjacent drop-stitch needles 60 provided therefoi, 'so 4as to'success'ively en`- gage theseneedles upon, their threads relim'inary to the knitting ofthe' foot, w ile' the front drop-stitches arecontinued.' The, usual latch needles 11 are 'employed Vasll shown, having short hubsV 11.'L as; usual for; the rear half; butjas my invention'provides, that "these needles, after Vtheyihave beenY lowered j to for-m .drop-stitches, shall beautolf f niatically raised into action singly instead of jointly, certain of thenecdle ves 12 in the needle, cylindenare rovi ed; asshownrfgl A e-oEsets -13 h ich" form jacks adaptedto b en`d outward th hixb t ends of the lowered needles therein, sothatA 7 5 said needles may beseparately raised as W'hen a separately formed Stocking attached `to the needles 11', thedmpst j needles are lowered in pairs, as indicated, wao.

-form a desired number of double .drops-,

stitches spaced apart around4 the leg'ofthe'. r stocking. To facilitate this operation I prg-.1 vide a notched leveling-ringvQO in. the cam' cylinder, the notches 21 of which are sized 85 I and spaced so ,as to permit the passage 4 therethrough in pairs of-the desired number .of rear-half needles, the front-half ldropstitch needles being'y c mmonly entirely-'re moved from the cylin er. vThe needle cylinder being raised as usual, andth zlevelng ring 20 of .the cam cylinder being properly set by pushin'g a locking pin 22,into an en gaging .recess 23in the cam "cylindergfthe loweringof the needlecylnder' permits the 95 jdrop-stitch needles only to pass through the notches of. the leveling ring; and when the cam cylinderis released and v4rotated the 7.1i.

drop-stitch needles are' all lowered' by the fixed cam of the cylinder so asto bring their 10o hubs 11'* into inoperative posit-ion'in the lower course 24 while the operating needles are leveled upon the ring 20. One needle of each lowered pair being engaged in a needle cylinder groove which is provided with a jack 13, isbent outward so that its hub 119 extends beyond the hub of theother needle,

thus producing the same effect as would be A A.

i ment of eachtofithe raised needleslwit th.

to the 1i operation of the machine,

` successive quarter revolutions ofthe lpin 1s moved u ward in the machine frame clined portion of the slot- .39 by operation oi 'the two llfters 30 and 31. For imparting producedA by providing said bent needles with. a diierent length of hub.

To provide for, raising into action the dropstitch needles, preliminary to knitting the foot, I employ, as shown, vertically slidable lifter' plates 30 .and 3 1, mqunted in a guide 32 at the base ofthe cam cylinder; and mechanism forsuccessively liftin said plates to raise into action first (ine an then another of each pair of the drop-stitch needles; such separate elevation being practicallyl necessary toginsure the proper en agethreadf This mechanismgas shown, comprises a camring 35' movably secured tothe base of the cam cylinder by screws 36 engaged' in slots 37 in the ring so as to permit of-a limited rotary movement upon the -cam cylinder, and provided with a cam plate 38 having a slot39 into which' are extended parallel ins 30* andBl fixed respectively ers 30 and 31.' 'These lifter pins are vsuccessively raised vor lowered in the inthe ring 35, and rest inV one or. other osi\` tions inthe horizontal end portions'o the slot, suitable piniclearance ways :being pro vided toV permit independent movement .of-

this turningfmovement to vthecam ring 35 at the proper'time without intermitting the .-I- ernploy a cam wheel mounted upon'a stud 40 projecting radially Vfrom the cam cylinder. *This wheel has a camdisk 41 engaged'between vertical arms/42,143 provided on the cam ring 35, so that a firstA quarterrevolution of the wheel will impart sullicient swingo the ring to raise the' outside lifters'30 linto the path which :are bent outward by the jacks 13, and a second quarter turn will similarly raise the other'lifter 31 into the' path" of the other droplstitch needle hubs, while succeeding quarter revolutions will in like manner lower said lifters. These cam at successive revolutions by a strike-pin 45, which which are effected of the cam cylinder 3 (as indicated y the arrow). just,befor,e the foot portion o f the stocking istogbe knitted. When thus raised the pin 45 is arranged to ea'cli contact with the -needles with like hubs, 'with guide groovesfor said needles certain strike one of the four radiating arms 47 provided pn the outer end of the cam wheel, at each resolution of the cam cylinder, so as l raised said lifter isjs'wung around with the"v cam c linder so that its inclined upper edge will throw intof-actio'n the drop-stitch needles whose hubs extend into its path. After the needles are -thus raised lsingle into cer tain engagementwith the thread the uninterruptedf'knitting proceeds with the drop stitches continued only on the upper portion of the! foot. The accurate turnlng of the amjdisk 41 for a quarter revolution only by s rike-pin 45 is insured as shown by providing a spring- .pressed stop 50 which successively engages four 'equally spaced recesses in the periphery of a collar 51 carried by the cam What I claim is wheel.

l. Aknitting machine having a vertically movable needle cylinder and a 'cam cylinder provided with a fixed leveling ringhaving a series of notches adapted to ,permit the passage below-said ring of determined dropstitch needles only.

2. In a knittin machine, a cam cylinder carrying a plura ity of vertically movable drop-s`titchneedle hters, and means for separately movingsaidlifters by successive rotations of the oem cyli-nder.

,3. In a knitting machine, a cam cylinder cariying a plurality 'of vertically movable drop-stitch-needle lifters,l and a cam ring engaging the severallifters latterisuccessively. by turning movements of the ring., and means for giving a step-by-step movement tothe ring by ysuccessive rotations of the cam cylinder.

4. A' knitting machine having a series of a needle cylinder only of which are provided with wedge offsets adapted' to deflect the hub portions of the corresponding depressed needles, a cam cylinder provided wlth separate hub engaging liftcrs for the deflected and undeflcted needles respectivel and means for separately movirlg said li ters by successive rotations of the c In cylinder. v

In testimony whereof, `I aiigz my `signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

.,FRANK W; ROBINS'ON.

Witnesses:

D. M. STEWART, H. G. STEWART.

so as to operate the 

